St Tewdric's Church

St Tewdric’s Church stands in Mathern, Monmouthshire, on ground said to hold the grave of Saint Tewdric. A church has occupied the site since the 6th century, rebuilt by the Normans and later reshaped by the Victorians. The present building is a Grade I listed structure, recognised for its medieval fabric and later changes. The chancel and nave arcades date from the 13th century, while the tower was added in the late 15th century under Bishop John Marshall. A stone coffin thought to contain the saint’s remains was found beneath the altar in 1881. The church’s history is woven with the Bishops of Llandaff, who once used nearby Mathern Palace. In 1614 a stone coffin was moved to the chancel, and in the 1880s a major restoration uncovered a skeleton with an axe-split skull beneath the altar. Architectural historian John Newman describes the interior as dominated by 13th-century work, though later additions give it a grander scale. A late 18th-century inscription on the chancel wall confirms Tewdric’s burial here, and the rediscovery of the coffin in 1881 is noted beside it. The medieval font, lost under the porch, was found in 1943 and reinstalled. Inside, the oldest visible parts are the nave arcades and the chancel arch. The tower of ashlar blocks rises above the south porch, added by Bishop Marshall. Victorian restorers rebuilt the south wall and reroofed the building, leaving traces of their work on the exterior. The church’s Grade I listing highlights its fine medieval structure and the bishops’ historic link to Mathern Palace. Outside, the churchyard holds quiet reminders of its long past.